The Impact of Media Concentration on Professional ... - OSCE

3. General Survey ResultsDialogue is the most efficient way to either prevent or to solveopen conflict. For dialogue to succeed knowledgeable representatives,who are accepted by all sides, are needed. In theindustrial world dialogue between the workforce <strong>of</strong> one givencategory and their employers is conducted by industrial unionson one side and industrialist associations on the other side. Onthe lower level <strong>of</strong> individual companies it has been long standingpractise for workers to elect a works council, which is toact as their representative organ in any dispute with the company’sowner(s) and/or management.<strong>The</strong> reason for the existence <strong>of</strong> such institutions is toincrease the weak bargaining position <strong>of</strong> the individual workerthrough the support <strong>of</strong> the collective workforce.<strong>The</strong> rights <strong>of</strong> such works councils to participate in strategicdecisions concerning the future <strong>of</strong> the company vary widelyfrom country to country. Probably the most extensive interpretation<strong>of</strong> functions and rights <strong>of</strong> the works council is to befound in the German “Betriebsrat” model. In many other systems,however, the function <strong>of</strong> the works council is limited tothe right <strong>of</strong> the workforce to be represented without the rightto partake in the decision making process.However influential the institution <strong>of</strong> such works councilsis defined, it does not seem to be very much in favour withthe daily newspaper industry. Little less than half <strong>of</strong> the journalistscontacted for this survey enjoy this basic form <strong>of</strong> organizedindustrial relationship at all. (Fig. 1)GENERAL SURVEY RESULTS 71